Adams on Africa | Issue 2

THE UPS & DRONES OF TECHNOLOGY
IN AFRICA
Africa is an early adopter when it
comes to utilising drone technology.
We look at what’s happening in East
Africa and an SA expert weighs in
on the regulations guiding this
growing technology.
The East Africa Community (EAC), a customs and
common market union that allows the free movement
of people and goods between Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda,
Tanzania, Uganda and South Sudan, is promoting
enlightened integrative, economic and pro-growth policies to
give local and international entrepreneurs the confidence to
invest in the region.
Much like the rapid growth in mobile phone technology in
the new millennium, a similar tech revolution is underway.
Its beginnings are in Rwanda with the design, testing and
deployment of commercial drone technology.
RWANDA ON THE RISE
One of the advantages of rapidly adopting new technology is
that it allows one to leapfrog the current status quo. In the
late 90s, just before the mobile phone revolution was starting
to take hold, it was estimated that there were more fixed-line
phones in Manhattan than across the entire African continent.
Today, the continent has more mobile subscribers than the
USA and the total value of the industry in Africa is estimated at
US$70 billion.
Keeping an eye on Drone and Artificial Intelligence
Law in South Africa are Andrew Molver and Gabrielle
Dewey of <strong>Adams</strong> & <strong>Adams</strong>. For assistance, contact
Gabrielle Dewey Gabrielle on dewey@adamsadams.com
Under the leadership of Rwanda’s Paul Kagame, dubbed “the
Digital President”, his cabinet has implemented a forwardthinking
aviation and ICT policy, and it has come at an
opportune time. Rwanda and the greater EAC region have a
historical legacy of poor road infrastructure. The cost of getting
goods from A to B can be astronomical, and delivery times
can be protracted at best. So it would make sense to explore
alternative, cheaper and faster ways of transporting goods
across the region.
One of the challenges with the testing of commercial drone
IMAGES: Katy Harris/ Foster+partners
technology in the developed markets of the west has been
the extremely busy air traffic. Conversely, Africa has relatively
little air traffic and let’s not forget it’s sizeable (you can fit
most of western Europe into the Congo Basin) and has a low
population density outside the major cities, making it a much
safer and more sensible place to test commercial drone routes.
This combination of open skies and open-minded policymaking
has led some of the world’s leading avionic and drone
tech companies setting up shop in Rwanda. Foster+Partners,
a leading UK design firm, is building Rwanda’s first drone port,
with additional ports to be completed by 2020. The drone
port consists of two “terminals”. The Red Line will use smaller
drones for the delivery of medical and emergency supplies
across the country, while the Blue Line will transport larger,
high-value payloads including spare parts, electronics and
ecommerce deliveries. The Blue Line will help cross-subsidise
the Red Line, ensuring the port is commercially sustainable.
REASSESSING THE REGULATIONS
While the drone business is expanding, not only in Africa but
also across the globe, there are only a handful of training
providers, which has resulted in thousands of uncertified and
illegal pilots taking to the skies. Braam Botha, Chief Operating
Officer at UAV Industries, a South African company that’s been
certified to operate drones and train drone pilots, says the
sector’s in urgent need of upskilling and compliance.
“As the first drone operator in Africa, we know it’s important
to promote proper education and awareness,” says Botha.
“You can’t fly a plane without a licence, so you also shouldn’t
operate a drone outside of the legal framework. You need
a pilot’s licence and an operating certificate, while the drone
needs to be certified as well.”
He points out that there remain many positive uses for
drones, especially in a commercial context. “You can
create business value, foster social upliftment or use it for
environmental purposes such as anti-poaching and erosion
management. As drones become more accessible to a wider
audience, we need to ensure that the industry grows in a safe
and integrated manner.”
As the interest in this technology increases, it’s inevitable
that legislation will be crafted around its various uses. It’s an
exciting time in tech and certainly a great trend to keep our legal
eyes on.
“
You can create business value,
foster social upliftment or use
it for environmental purposes
such as anti-poaching
and erosion management.
As drones become more
accessible to a wider
audience, we need to ensure
that the industry grows in a
safe and integrated manner.